SPAIN: RESPONSE TO JAYSH AL-MAHDI VIOLENCE

C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 001186 SIPDIS STATE FOR EUR/WE, PM/RSAT AND PM/PMAT E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2014 TAGS: PREL MOPS SP MAR SUBJECT: SPAIN: RESPONSE TO JAYSH AL-MAHDI VIOLENCE REF: STATE 74537 Classified By: Charge d'Affairs J. Robert Manzanares, reasons 1.4 (A) and (D). (C) We delivered reftel points April 7 to Javier Carbajosa, Senior Advisor to the Foreign Ministry's Ramon Gil-Casares, Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs (GOS's deputy SIPDIS secretary equivalent, Gil-Casares was out of the office for SIPDIS the Holy Week holiday as is much of the Foreign Ministry). Carbajosa said the Aznar government's position on the Iraq violence is identical to our own, but unfortunately the current administration has its hands somewhat tied given its caretaker role while the Zapatero government transitions in. Carbajosa stated it would be difficult for the Aznar government to make strong public statements on the matter, particularly since it is well known the Aznar and Zapatero teams do not see eye-to-eye on Iraq. Nonetheless, Carbajosa said the Foreign Ministry would do what it could within these limits. MANZANARES